Zach Gilford

Zach Gilford Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: January 14, 1982

Age: 42 years old

Birth Place: Evanston, Illinois

Actor Zach Gilford, a native of Evanston, IL and graduate of Northwestern University, where he starred in theater productions of "Equus" and "The Laramie Project," had his first starring role on the critically acclaimed, but under-watched "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 2006-07), Peter Berg's television adaptation of his 2004 film about life in a small Texas town fixated on its winning high school football team. In the television version, Gilford played backup quarterback Matt Saracen, a 16-year-old kid trying to deal with his absentee mother and his father serving in Iraq, who is thrust into the spotlight during the first game of the season when the team's starting quarterback (Scott Porter) suffers a serious injury. Gilford drew upon his own gridiron experiences when he played ball at Evanston Township High School, where he suffered from an injury that led him to discover acting. Prior to his stint on "Friday Night Lights," Gilford appeared in an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ), then had a small part in his first feature film, "The Last Winter" (2005), an indie thriller about the surviving members of an oil drilling crew struggling to traverse the Northern Alaskan landscape after the rest of the team loses their grip on reality.

Credits

The Fall of the House of UsherStream

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90%

There's Something Wrong With the Children

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Ben
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There's Something Wrong With the ChildrenStream

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Ben
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62%

It's Not Only Football: Friday Night Lights and Beyond

Host
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2022

The Midnight ClubStream

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Mark
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86%

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

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2022

The Disappearance of Cari Farver

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Dave Kroupa
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Midnight MassStream

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Riley Flynn
Series
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87%

L.A.'s FinestStream

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Ben Walker
Series
2019
24%

L.A.'s Finest: Extras

Actor
Show
2019

Boy Genius

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Gordon
Movie
2019

This Close: Extras

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Show
2018

Good GirlsStream

Guest Star
Greg
Series
2018
86%

This CloseStream

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Danny
Series
2018

Lifeline

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Connor Hooks
Show
2017

The FamilyStream

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Danny
Series
2016
61%

Devil's Due

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Zach McCall
Movie
2014

The Purge: AnarchyStream

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Shane
Movie
2014
58%

Drunk HistoryStream

Guest Star
Series
2013

The Last StandStream

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Jerry Bailey
Movie
2013
61%

The Mob Doctor

Actor
Dr. Brett Robinson
Show
2012

In Our Nature

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Seth
Movie
2012

Crazy Kind of Love

Actor
Matthew
Movie
2012

Off the Map

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Tommy Fuller
Show
2011

Answers to Nothing

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Evan
Movie
2011

The River Why

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Gus
Movie
2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

Post GradStream

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Adam
Movie
2009
8%

Dare

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Johnny Drake
Movie
2009

Chelsea Lately

Guest
Talk
2007

Friday Night LightsStream

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Matt Saracen
Series
2006
97%

Friday Night LightsStream

Guest Star
Matt Saracen
Series
2006
97%

Rachael Ray ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2006

etalk

Guest
Show
2006

The Last Winter

Actor
Maxwell
Movie
2006

Criminal MindsStream

Actor
Elias Voit
Series
2005

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

Guest Star
Kevin Wilcox
Series
1999
78%

News aboutZach Gilford

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